The present invention is directed to a stroke-control for a radial arm saw. In a radial arm saw, the rotary saw is moved above the plane containing the work-support surface by the user of the saw, by manually pushing and pulling the saw with a hand gripping a handle of the saw unit. During the cut of a workpiece, it often occurs that the blade tends to draw itself into the workpiece at a rate faster than the speed of the saw can allow, which often leads to the stalling of the motor rotating the saw blade, or often causes the motor and saw blade to lurch toward the user of the saw. This is a safety hazard, as well as a source of improper and undesired cutting of the workpiece. This usually presents itself when the workpiece is cut by the rotary saw such that the direction of rotation of the saw blade is that which would tend to draw the workpiece toward it. With currently available and used radial arm saws, the only means by which the rate of progress of the saw through the workpiece may be controlled is the actual restraining force applied by the user himself, when he pulls back on the saw via his hand gripping the handle of the unit, as he moves the unit across the workpiece. More often than not, the forces capable of being applied manually by the user of the device are not adequate to control the cut without the attendant improper cutting or potential hazard being present. It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a manually-controllable hydraulic unit that allows a restraining force to be applied against the forward movement of the saw unit when cutting a workpiece, which restraining force is continuously variable to suit the requirements of the user of the device, the particular type and size of workpiece being cut, and the rate of speed of the cut through the workpiece, so that at the slightest hint of hazard or improper cutting of the workpiece, the user of the unit may readily and quickly adjust the restraining force to adapt to the conditions extant at any given moment during the cut through the workpiece, but still allow easy and fast return of the saw unit to its starting, pre-cutting position for subsequent cutting of another workpiece.